| “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.” |
| —Matthew 15:21 |
Suppose you had come into the city for the Passover holiday, were minding your own business and had a specific intent for your visit that day. Perhaps you even had a meeting planned. But, because of the crowd, you could not get through, making you late for your appointment. We don’t know Simon’s intentions that day. We only know that this act of giving help—that of carrying Jesus’ cross—was forced upon him.
Interruptions can be pesky things. Especially when plans have been made, the schedule is full, and the goal is important for the Kingdom. Why that must have been what the priest and the Levite felt when they walked on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho in the story of the Good Samaritan. They had holy business to which they must attend. They couldn’t possibly stop to help the injured man and risk interrupting their honorable intentions!
As recorded in Luke 10:30-37, the Samaritan also had matters to which he needed to attend. However, Jesus held this man up with praise above the holy men in the story. Why? Because he showed the kind of compassion and unselfish concern for the wounded man that Jesus looks for in a true disciple.
Jesus Himself knew interruptions on a daily basis. Almost all of the gospel stories concerning His earthly ministry show people waiting for Him, or following after Him, or calling out to Him. In an account of Jesus in Matthew 9:18-26, we find Jesus teaching His disciples. But, He is interrupted by a ruler who came frantically asking for Him to come and heal his twelve year old daughter. On the way, a woman sick with chronic bleeding stopped Him, and He healed her as well.
In Matthew 14:13-14, we read:
When Jesus heard what had happened, [John the Baptist’s beheading] he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
It seems as if He couldn’t catch a break, even to mourn over His friend’s violent death!
I for one hate interruptions. And, maybe you do, too. But, I realize that God wants me to accept a little more flexibility into my schedule, in case He has something of utmost importance He wants me to do. Sometimes the interruptions seem trivial and bothersome. Sometimes we do have to make wise and discerning decisions about such things.
But if you’re like me, plenty of times I need to resist the cranky response, the resentment, the downright refusal, and accept cheerfully the interruption—even if it is to bear a cross for another. We become more like Christ when we do so.
